Tuesday, December 30, 2014

The union of
eight political parties which have no representatives in Parliament, have
jointly asked the government to clarify its recent decisions to the
international donor community over the dubious transactions enteredby some people who managed to withdraw Sh.
202.9 billion money illegally from the Tegeta Escrow Account. The eight
political parties made the declaration in a joint communiqué report they issued
yesterday in Dar es Salaam with a view to request the government to restore
faith that the donors had lost from the government a result of which made them
to suspend the disbursements of funds intended for the development projects in
the country due to the scandal. Either the said political parties namely AFP,
CCK, SAU, JAHAZI, UMD, CHAUSTA, NRA and UPDP have hailed President Jakaya
Kikwete’s decision and steps taken by his government when responding to the
eight Parliamentary resolutions which it had issued to the government to
implement together with taking stern measures against the people who directly
involved in the scandal. Reading the statement on behalf of fellow parties, the
Secretary General of the Sauti ya Umma party (SAU) Ali Kaniki told a press
conference that, donors are anxiously waiting to receive an official report
from the government that would show steps taken so far by the government over
the matter. “Many citizens have come to understand the Escrow issue after hearing
the President’s speech and that its important the government should issue a
statement to donors to clarify their decisions which would make them and
external investors to restore faith to the government which was lost when the
scandal erupted in Parliament”, he said. Kaniki added that, the decision by the
President to reject one resolution which required the government to confiscate
the IPOTL’s generating machines was good and that if the president could have
accepted the ideas, it would lure other investors’’ mind not to come to
Tanzania for investments.“The President need to be respected although others
think that, when the President ids overwhelmed with such scandals, makes them
come up with new political agenda to make them become famous politically”, he
said.

President Jakaya Kikwete is addressing Dar es Salaam elders who turned up to listen to him when responding to the eight resolutions recently passed by the National Assembly on Escrow saga.

However, he noted that these are the preliminary decisions taken by the
government, other legal measures are due to follow later as the President is
not forced and instead is being advised on how to make a firm decision over the
matter as other organs are still making a follow up on the issue. On his part,
the Secretary General of the Chama Cha Kijamii (CCK) Renatus Muabhi said that
the issue of donors to suspend funds for development is a painful issue to the
nation following some national leaders who are in power do not take necessary
steps to safeguard the national wealth as well as being not serious enough over
the fight against corruption. He said if the national leaders were serious
enough to safeguard the natural resources properly, the donors would have not
have become strong enough to intervene and cause a threat to the government by
way of forcing them to react over the matter, an aspect that they might have
decided to suspend their assistances. “If the donor countries could have not
threatened the government to react on their wishes and as a result they decided
to suspend the fund for development in a country that is full of natural
resources which could enable the nation become rich if properly organized”, he
said He said Tanzanians should not be ready to see their President is being
bulldozed by the donors by inciting his to do whatever they want, as by doing
so it reflects the bad image to the nation. However, he noted that, , President
Kikwete should be serious with statements issued b y political figures in the
country with the aim of building their confidence over the Escrow account saga
so as to plug the nation into a political chaos. “Countries which are in political
crisis have their causes erupted by politicians who are looking after building
their own political influence, and therefore Tanzanians should avoid the trend
in order to continue building peace and harmony which has been existing for
long in the country”, he said. On his part, the Secretary General of AFP party,
Rashid Rai cautioned politicians to recognize that not all that they recommend to
the government and have its commitments by President should be done according
to their wishes, bearing in mind the fact that, Tanzania is guided by its
constitution. “Let us not advise the president on matters which are not
thoroughly checked, and good luck enough our President is wise enough whenever
he is given an advise which he works on it before deciding on it”, he said.

A police Constable
(PC) with force number G 7606 known by one name Deogratius stationed at Kinesi
Police Station in Rorya district, Mara region has been admitted at Shirati
nursing the wounds he sustained on his ribs. This is after he was pricked by a
sharp instrument believed to be a spear while at work with his fellow in their
struggle to remove more than 2,000 youths who had invaded a gold mine owned by
Acacia North Mara which is located at Nyamongo area in Tarime district whereby
the police in the area are holding 6 people in connection with the illegal
intrusion that caused the injuries to other policemen within the mining site. The
Police Commander of Tarime /Rorya special police zone, SACP Lazaro Mambosasa
said yesterday that, a group of about 2,000 youths living in neighborhood close
to the mining site believed to be invaders on Tuesday at noon armed with
traditional weapons invaded the mining area and caused violence.

People run in great pursuit to take refuge in an attempt to escape the police who usually fire them with live bullets after they had invaded the mine with intent to steal gemstones. The incident took place at Nyamongo Gold Mine in Tarime district recently.

According to
SACP Mambosasa, the group invaded the security guards on duty and swiftly
managed to escape with precious gemstones from the mining site while leaving
other policemen in injuries. He said that, the police force in collaboration
with the security guards amounted a counter attack at the site and in
confrontation came in face to face with the intruders in a swift operational
move that was succeeded but left other policemen injured. He further noted
that, during the operation, one policemen who was hired from Kinesi police
station with the force numberG 7606 PC
Deogratius was left injured on his side body and w as rushed to Tarime
district designated hospital for treatment and at the moment is admitted at
Shirati hospital for further treatment. He said 6 people most of whom are
youths are being held by the police in connection with the incident and are
soon expected to appear before the court of law once investigations about them
matter is complete. The suspects would be charged with intrusion to the Gold
Mine area and cause injuries to security people. SACP Mambosasa has cautioned
to the people in the area not to take law in their hands and desist from
forcing their movements illegally into the mining site without permission with
intent to commit a crime. He said the police force in the region would not
hesitate to take legal actions against the offenders who would be found guilty
of an offense and take them before the court of law, and therefore cautioned to
the concerned group that the a hand of law would take actions against them.

RESIDENTS of Nzasa,
Kilami and Nyaigulu villages in Ilala district in Dar es Salaam region who are
bordering the Kazimzumbwi natural forest in Kisarawe district, Coast region
have lodged a claim against wildlife security guards of the Kazimzumbwi forest.
The residents have accused them together with the District Commissioner of the
district Fatma Kimario for their collaborative work of ordering about 700
houses which have been pulled down and setting fire to their livestock on
claims that have invaded the area illegally. They have also accused them of
slashing down residents’ crops in the area in a move to let them vacate so as
to let the investor who want to plant trees for reduction of carbon dioxide
emission.

Kazimzumbwi forests in Kisarawe district, Coast region

Speaking to the writer of this news, a member of the committee
selected to look after the demarcations which were placed to separate the
natural forests of Kazimzumbwi and the residential areas recognized to be under
Ilala municipal council Mary Maundi said that, an action committed by the
district officials is inhumane and that it was not right for them people in the
area. He said that, the people have the legal occupation of the area for over
ten years and have won a civil case which was opened in 2011 and that it was
found that the wildlife soldiers occupied the area illegally and built their
houses in it. “The case was conducted at a district court for the last two
years and failure for them soldiers to tender their evidences in court, the
Magistrate cancelled it for lack of enough evidences as they were require to do
so” she said.

The two days of the just ended public holidays for Christmas
occasion has become a disguise to commuter bus operators popularly known as
‘Daladala’ in the city of Dar es Salaam, the survey has discovered that, during
public occasions most commuter buses plying through various designated routes
to their destination points within the city suburbs carries less passengers on
board compared to ordinary working days of the week. Interviewed drivers by this paper yesterday in Das res
Salaam said that, the two days of the religious festivity became a tough job as
none of them could make considerable profit margin out of the daily collection
targets required of them by their employers. The daily target set which range
between Sh. 90,000/- and Sh. 130,000/- and about Sh. 300,000/- for Usafiri Dar es Salaam buses known in
short as UDA buses respectively, is required to be remitted on daily basis. They
said during such occasions the business realizes lower income due to few
passengers found at various Daladala bus stations an aspect that they make
lower profit levels than they could expect for the day. Hamza Rehani a driver
of the bus plying between Mbagala and Mwenge route up to Makumbusho station
said that, he had experienced a loss of over 40 percent of the total amount
which is not accountable with the targeted amount to be submitted to his
employer per day.

According to him, despite most commuter divers used to offer
discounts in a bid to let passengers board their busses for a certain distance,
still the situation at the end is more alarming. However, he said adding that, they
have to use other means to compensate the losses incurred in order to please
their employers. Another commuter driver Omary Mwanjusi whom plies between
Gongo la Mbotto and Ubungo countered by saying that, public days and weekends
are bad days for them and the employers do not mind about except they pay as
per their contract says. Contacted for clarification over the matter, UDA’s
Chief Operation Officer Cyprian Malekela could not be in a position to respond
when this writer connected him in a telephone interview. However, he said that
as concerns the contract in between UDA and their bus operators it was none of
the public business to know about the company’s affairs and declined to say
anything further. Investigations by this paper has further discovered that, apart
from occasion to be a disguise to commuter bus operators, a two day occasion
had been a bless to city commuters in almost all suburbs in the city who spent
fewer time to arrive at their working places. Ezekiel Kessy who resides at
Kimara said that, he used to spend 3 hours during pick hours when coming and
going back home after whole day’s business at the city centre. But to his great
dismay, he found himself using only half an hour to arrive at his destination
point. It has been discovered that, during the public holidays the Dar es
Salaam city roads becomes decongested with vehicles, the situation which poses
a relief to police traffic whom unlike other days are seemingly busy directing
traffic at a most intersection.

Monday, December 22, 2014

Trade
Mark East Africa (TMEA) has launched the first of its $ 16 million Logistics
Innovation for Trade (LIFT) fund marking a deep step forwards reducing the
region’s logistics and transport costs through innovative solutions. The
occasion which took place on Thursday last week in Dar es Salaam this week was
attended by transport stakeholders in the country. Speaking at the launch, TMEA
Tanzania country director Dr. Josephat Kweka said that, by funding solutions to
reduce the costs of transport, the fund will make a real contribution to
improved trade and prosperity in Tanzania and East Africa region as a whole. He
said TMEA believes that LIFT will help ensure that the private sector will be
at the centre of providing solutions and contributing to the growth of trade in
the EAC region. In addition to that, the fund will also provide grants Dr.
Kweka noted that, the grants will range from $ 200,000 and $ 750,000 to winning
proposals from innovators from across the world but whose ideas will be
implemented in East Africa region.

Dr. Kweka further elaborated that, East Africa
currently has some of the highest freight and transport costs in the world.
These costs seriously erode the competitiveness of goods exported by East
African countries, thus reducing tirade economic growth, job creation and
poverty reduction. In view of this, he said that the fund will contribute to a
significant reduction in transport and other logistics related costs in order
to increase competitiveness for the trading community in East Africa. TMEA is
an organization funded by a range of development agencies with the aim of
growing prosperity in East Africa through trade. The organization works closely
with East Africa Community institutions, national governments, the private
sectors and civil society organizations.

AWARD 1

I won the second prize in policy category of the African Information society Initiative ( AISI) awards 2004 which is annually organized by the United Nations- Economic Commission for Africa ( UNECA) based in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia. On the first photo above standing with other awardees after the Ceremony at the National Settlers monument in Grahamstown, South Africa.This was during the 8th Highway Africa Conference.The second photo shows the cross section of Jounalists from different African countries who attended the ceremony.

AWARD 2

I also won the AISI-GKP/SDC Media Award special reporting on WSIS process and Africa, and conferred with the award in Tunis, Tunisia during WSIS summit in 2005. See the photo above.

AWARD 3

Winner on the Media Competition on writing about " Stigma denial and Discrimination" associated with HIV/AIDS. This was organized by theAssociation of Journalists Against Aids in Tanzania ( AJAAT). On the Photo above President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete of Tanzania, ( then the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation) was the guest of honour during the award giving ceremony.This was at Maelezo auditorium in Dar-es-Salaam September 2005.

AWARD 4

Winner on the Media Competition on writing about "Vulnerable Children" associated with HIV/AIDS This was organized by the Association of Journalists Against Aids in Tanzania ( AJAAT)

AWARD 5

Winner of the National ICT Media Award organized By SWOPNET in the Country. On the photo above Morogoro Regional Commissioner, Brigadier General ( Rt) Saidi Kalembo was the guest of honour during the award giving ceremony which was held at New Sarvoy Hotel in morogoro town.I was awarded a Mobile phone and a tape-recorder.

AWARD 6

I participated in the Media Competition in writing about VCT (Voluntary Counseling and Testing) in Tanzania which was held between July 15th and October 30th 2008 whereby I emerged among the top five winners. The competition was under the program known as “Tanzania bila Ukwimwi inawezekana” which literally means, Tanzania without AIDS disease transmission is possible”. This is a program which was organizedby the Association of Journalists Against AIDS in Tanzania (AJAAT) under TACAIDS funding. In the photo, I am being presented with a certificate of participation by the Chairman of the Tanzania Commission for AIDS (TACAIDS) Dr. Fatma Mrisho in a colorful ceremony which was held on 22nd December 2008 at Tanzania Information Centre in Dar es Salaam.

AWARD 7

AWARD 8

AWARD 9

I was among the top 17 best selected students who excelled in their final examinations of the 2010/2011 academic year and awarded with the Vice-Chancellor’s prize. I scored 4.5 GPA (First Class) in BA in Journalism. Above I am being given a certificate by the Chairman of the Open University of Tanzania Board of Senate. Standing at the centre facing camera is the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Tolly Mbwette. Extreme left partly hidden is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Elifas Bisanda. This occasion took place during the convocation meeting, a day before the graduation day at the prospective permanent headquarter of the Open University of Tanzania which is currently under construction at Bungo-Kibaha in Coast region 40 kilometers away west of Dar es Salaam city.